Sports dispute pilot scheme records first successful mediation

Hong Kong’s new sports dispute resolution platform has successfully handled its first case, with an athlete and a sports association reaching a settlement over a representative team selection row.

The case involved a dispute between an athlete and the athlete’s sports association over the selection of Hong Kong representatives for an intercontinental competition. The parties eventually reached a settlement through mediation and agreed not to pursue further legal action over the matter.

The case was handled through the designated online platform for sports dispute resolution under the government’s Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution.

Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung, director of the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, told Sing Tao Daily, The Standard’s sister publication, that the center arranged a mediation meeting within seven days of receiving the case, with the parties reaching a settlement on the same day.

Each side paid HK$1,500 as a case registration fee, while the remaining costs were covered by government funding under the sports dispute pilot scheme.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan described the first successful case as “a good start,” but said more work was needed to deepen education and help more people in the legal and sports sectors understand and trust the system.

Cheung said the pilot scheme had received a number of inquiries within a short period after it began operation in February.

He said mediation and arbitration offer several advantages in resolving sports disputes. Athletes training overseas can take part in mediation or arbitration remotely through the online platform, while cases are kept confidential, helping parties avoid the pressure of taking disputes to court.

Cheung noted that, compared with court proceedings that may lead to a “winner takes all” outcome, mediation and arbitration can save time and money while preserving future working relationships between athletes and sports bodies.

He added the mechanism could help avoid situations where parties “can no longer be friends after a lawsuit.”
 

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